Poor quality of life

Many Singaporeans spend too much time in the office. In some cases, their employer cut down on manpower, making it necessary for the employees to spend more hours to finish their work. In other cases, the employees stay back late due to peer or boss pressure, as leaving on time is considered as "not hard working".

I met an Indonesian who studied and continued to work in Singapore for the past eight years. His working hours is from 9 am to 9 pm, every day. He is caught in the Singapore system.

I hope that the Government leaders realise why Singaporeans are not producing babies. How can they, when many have to work long hours? They do not have time for their families. They may not have time to find their life partners.

The competitive environment in Singapore, the lack of job security and the high cost of living are the main factors contributing to our low birth-rate, which is now nearly the lowest in the world. Some apologists said that this is the trend in developed countries, but why should Singapore fare worse than other countries in this respect? There must be some factors in Singapore that make us worst!

Tan Kin Lian